The Division of Corporations can authenticate or Apostille documents signed by a Delaware notary or Delaware Public Official. Any document that is in a foreign language must provide an English translation. Both the foreign language and the English versions must be notarized.  All certificates issued by the Delaware Secretary of State or any Delaware Public Official will be in the English language, the Division of Corporations does not provide translation services.  Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for any additional questions you may have.

Prepare your Documents for Submission:

  • Documents filed with the Secretary of State – Whenever an apostille is requested for documents that have been filed with the Secretary of State, each document must be certified separately. Documents that have been certified under a one-cover certification are not acceptable for the issuance of the apostille.
  • Notarized documents – When a Delaware notary public notarizes a document that will be filed in another territory or country, the notary may be asked for proof of his or her appointment. This verification, depending upon the requirements of the territory or country, may be obtained from the Delaware Secretary of State, Division of Corporations. The individual for whom the notarization was completed should check with the territory or country for their requirements. Please be advised we will not accept documents that are notarized remotely or electronically for apostille.  The Division of Corporations does not provide notarial services.
  • Public Official Signatures – The Delaware Secretary of State, Division of Corporations also provides authentication of documents bearing Delaware Public Officials’ signatures. If the document is to be used outside the United States, the country of destination determines whether the certification is an apostille or authentication. Please note that publicly recorded documents must be official copies of the issuing Delaware State or County official, these documents are never notarized.
  • Notary Good Standing – Some territories or countries require this document as proof of the notary’s appointment. Before you request this certificate, please check with the territory or country where you will be filing your notarized document for their requirements.

How to submit your personal document to our office for Apostille or Authentication:

By Mail:

  • Mail the request to the Division of Corporations – John G. Townsend Bldg. – 401 Federal Street – Suite 4 – Dover, DE 19901.  Please include a cover memo clearly stating the purpose of the request and the country in which the document will be used.  Requests received by mail are typically processed on the same business day.  Documents that are not picked up from our office will be sent regular first-class mail unless a prepaid Priority USPS, Federal Express or UPS envelope is provided with the request.  Please contact our office at (302) 739-3073 with any questions.

In Person:

  • Make an appointment with the Division of Corporations to hand deliver the documents for authentication. To make an appointment please call (302) 739-3077.  Documents intended for personal use are typically processed on the same business day.

Fees:

  • When such services are requested for personal (non-Commercial) use, the Division discounts its fees to $30.00 for any documents that are presented simultaneously. This fee structure enables the public to minimize their costs by having all their apostille and authentication documents processed at one time. Commercial or non-personal documents would be subject to a fee of $30.00 per document and can be processed on an Expedited Basis for an additional fee.

The Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations has the right to refuse issuing Authentications or Apostilles for documents concerning U.S. citizenship, allegiance to the United States or any U.S. state or other jurisdiction, sovereignty, Actual Notice of In Itinere Status and World Service Authority (or similar) so called “citizenship” documents, or any documents that have no force or validity, and could be used for fraudulent or criminal purposes.